If you want to enjoy a flood of flowers all summer long, then annual plants are the best choice! When planting and caring for them, we must follow a few rules so that they really develop and bloom properly throughout the year. A common problem is that after a few weeks of vigorous growth, the development and flowering of plants stops, and pathogens may appear on them.
When shopping, try to buy healthy, properly developed plants. It is worth checking the condition of the soil ball, this is necessary to see if the plant has taken root properly. If this did not happen, when the plant is removed from the pot, the ball of earth falls apart, and a large part of the root system can break off, causing significant stress to the plant. Never choose an annual plant based on how many flowers it has, but on how powerful the plant is!
Plant the purchased seedlings as soon as possible. For their planting, use balcony potting soil mixtures, but general potting soil is also suitable.
In the case of potted plants, the greatest emphasis is on nutrient supply. Unfortunately, many people forget this. Even the best quality soil mixes are only approx. they contain enough nutrients for the plants for one month. The nutrient content of the soil mixture may decrease significantly during irrigation due to leaching. Annual plants are especially nutrient-demanding. They need nitrogen for growth, phosphorus and potassium for flowering. Today we can choose from many products. We do not need to buy a separate nutrient solution for each plant. A general one, which is needed for foliage plants, and a bloom enhancer, which is suitable for all flowering plants, are sufficient.
In the case of most annual plants, we need to remove the opened flowers, thereby stimulating their re-blooming.
To this day, the petunia is very popular, but a common problem is that it develops beautifully until June, delighting us with lots of flowers, and then grows fewer and fewer flowers and its growth slows down, and in the worst case, powdery mildew appears on it. In this case, feel free to cut the petunia back to 10-15 cm, then feed it once or twice a week. Within two to three weeks, it will bloom beautifully again.
SUNBURN
In the case of annual plants, special attention must also be paid during plant selection. The microclimate of the balcony is significantly different, even the plants growing nicely in the sunny area of the garden can be damaged due to the heat and solar radiation reflected from the walls. Therefore, if we want to plant flowering plants on a south-facing balcony, choose annual or Mediterranean plants that require a particularly sunny location! Dipladenia, or funnel-shaped carnation, bougainvillea, gazania, desert carnation tolerate strong sunlight particularly well.
We would like to help you make the right choice with a short description of a few annuals:
petunia:
- trailing or bushy growth
- with proper care, it blooms throughout the summer; at the end of the summer, the elongated shoots are cut back; after pruning, it sprouts and blooms profusely
- high nutrient demand, requires regular nutrient supply; occasionally water it with a nutrient solution containing iron microelements, because the leaves turn yellow in its absence
- it has a high water requirement, its soil should never be allowed to dry out
- we can put it in a sunny, semi-shady place
g
azania, rain flower, sun flower:
- blooms throughout the summer, remove the opened flowers to produce new flowers
- medium nutrient requirements
- medium water requirement
- likes a sunny place
lobelia:
- creeping and spreading growth
- blooms all summer long
- plant with high nutrient requirements, requires regular nutrient supply
- medium water requirement
- can be planted in sunny and semi-shaded places
sanvitalia:
- running plant
- it is usually a favorite plant for annual compositions
- thanks the care with flowering throughout the summer
- high nutrient requirements
- medium water requirement
- it likes a sunny and semi-shaded place
bidens, balcony gold:
- a plant with a running and spreading habit
- can be planted in groups or independently
- it blooms throughout the summer with adequate nutrient supply
- high nutrient requirements
- medium water requirement
- plant in a sunny, semi-shady place
purslane:
- plant with a spreading habit
- a popular plant due to its drought tolerance
- blooms all summer long
- medium nutrient requirements
- drought tolerant
- likes a sunny place
pistike:
- blooms all summer long
- high nutrient requirements
- high water demand
- plant in a semi-shaded, shady place
vinca:
- can be purchased in both stationary and running versions
- blooms all summer long
- high nutrient requirements
- water demanding
- it can be planted in sunny, semi-shaded and shady places
begonia:
- blooms all summer long
- high nutrient requirements
- medium water requirement, the soil should not dry out, but be careful not to overwater, as it may cause the plant to die
- can be planted in a sunny, semi-shaded place
stinky, smelly:
- it blooms all summer long, but open flowers should be removed so that the plant does not produce seeds
- high nutrient requirements
- medium water requirement
- can be planted in a sunny, semi-shaded place
bakopa:
- a flood of flowers throughout the summer
- available in white, purple and pink
- runner plant
- high nutrient requirements
- medium water requirement
- requires a sunny, semi-shady place
verbena:
- trailing and bushy plant
- blooms all summer long
- high nutrient requirements
- medium water requirement
- requires a sunny, semi-shady place
honey flower:
- spreading growth
- blooms all summer long
- high nutrient requirements
- medium water requirement
- requires a sunny, semi-shady place
- it can sprout from seed the following year
lantana, walking rose:
- it has a bushy growth, but can also be purchased in a trunk version
- blooms all summer long
- high nutrient and water requirements
- requires a sunny, semi-shady place
- can be overwintered
dipladenia, funnel jasmine:
- plant mainly in balcony boxes or ampolna
- blooms all summer long
- high nutrient and water requirements
- requires a sunny place
- can be overwintered
- tuberous begonia:
- blooms all summer long
- high nutrient requirements
- avoid overwatering, because it can cause the stem to rot!
- It requires a semi-shaded, shady place
- can be overwintered
fuchsia:
- bush habit, some varieties with strong growth require support, there is also a version with a hanging shoot system
- high nutrient and water requirements
- grows well in semi-shaded, shady places
plectranthus, mosquito repellent:
- trailing plant, leaf ornamental plant
- high nutrient and water requirements
- requires a sunny and semi-shaded location
- with proper care, it can also run 80 cm
- strong growth
dichondra:
- runner plant
- high nutrient and water requirements
- it can be planted in a sunny, semi-shaded or shady place, but it will be the most beautiful in a sunny place
- vigorous growth, with proper care it can reach a length of 1 meter
glechoma:
- runner plant
- high water and nutrient requirements
- it can be planted in a sunny, semi-shaded or shady place, but it will be the most beautiful in a sunny place
- vigorous growth, with proper care it can reach a length of 1 meter
- perennial
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